San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith has thrown 185 passes without an interception heading into tonight's game against the Detroit Lions. AP File Photo

SAN FRANCISCO -- When the "elite quarterback" label is thrown around, a few names instantly come to mind.

New England's Tom Brady, New Orleans' Drew Brees, and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers -- not necessarily in that order -- are the obvious candidates. It is hard to ignore the Super Bowl victories of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Atlanta's Matt Ryan could join that group after this season. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning exceeded expectations in Week 1.

Then there is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

Contain your excitement.

Smith is not regarded as an elite quarterback, but the Detroit Lions (1-0) face the challenge of stopping him tonight.

"He's a good quarterback," Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said. "He doesn't start for a winning team because he's a bad quarterback. He can throw it. He can run it, and he's really bright. He makes great decisions, and he's done a great job.

"They (haven't) turned the ball over in, I think it's been like six games. That's tough to deal with. We're going to have to try and get a couple."

Smith's ability to limit turnovers has been his biggest strength.

Last season, Smith threw 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Smith set a franchise record for fewest interceptions thrown in a season (minimum 400 attempts). This is the same franchise with Joe Montana and Steve Young on its résumé.

Smith has also thrown 185 passes without an interception, passing Young (184 attempts) for the most in franchise history. He completed 20-of-26 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns (125.6 quarterback rating) against the Green Bay Packers last week.

"He only had five interceptions last year," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "Takes care of the ball, he's very smart, had a lot of different coordinators early in his career. This may be the first year he's had the same one for two in a row, but he's very smart with the football. That plays into what they want to do.

"Sometimes you can get a label as a game manager. I don't know if any quarterback wants to be known for not throwing interceptions or not turning the ball over. He goes out and makes plays. He did it last year in the playoffs. He did it down the stretch. He did it in the first game this year. He's more than just a game manager. He's a good quarterback in the NFL."